“I can very much understand the positive impact [getting rid of it] will have on businesses’ ability to open” he says.
Building on May’s legacy will mean grinding, attritional work – which the hard left and extremist parties are neither interested in nor capable of doing.
A limited suspension is one thing, lasting change would be another. And so often, nothing is so permanent as the temporary.
“Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Saves lives” now needs to end up as “Get back to work. Protect the economy. Save livelihoods.”
The Government can avoid worsening it. But that requires as bold a deviation from ordinary policy as the extraordinary relief efforts we saw before.
It represents an emergency call to arms – not a permanent transition towards a command society.
One area that has had relatively little attention, but could get much more, is the behaviour of commercial landlords across the country.
When used against an indiscriminate shock like the Coronavirus, it can become a huge weight on the private sector.
Here, the recovery of our automotive and construction sectors is crucial – firms in the region directly employ around 46,500 people.
The Small Business Grant scheme should cover these businesses – and the furloughing plan allow sole company directors to work.
Used properly, stretch targets have the effect of galvanising the level of culture change, ambition, pace and delivery which is needed.
Following this road will require a transformation of how we work and live on an expectation-defying scale.
The mass of the public will demand answers to questions that previously had relatively limited appea – such as: why the postcode lottery in healthcare?
Given the working title ‘Project Birch’ within Government, the project is reported to be considering investmenting billions of pounds in companies.